IMATS London 2012 Pro Evening

As a professional makeup artist I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the pro evening at IMATS on Friday.

I'd never been to IMATS before so I was exceptionally excited to have been invited to attend, not only for free but also a day before the exhibition opened to the general public meaning the crowds were at a bare minimum. Having worked at exhibitions before I'm very aware of just how busy they can be and I've heard IMATS weekend can be even busier!

The event ran from 2pm to 7pm and I arrived at around 3pm and stayed for about an hour which gave me more than enough time to browse all of the exhibitors and pick up the pieces I wanted. The event itself was quite quiet when I was there, there were a few talks held but I missed most of them - I had plans for Friday evening so I couldn't stay until the end and I was worried the snow would arrive and I'd be stuck at Ally Pally!

Here's a look at what I bought...

Essentials

L-to-R: Bioderma Crealine H2O, Real Techniques Core Collection, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, Embryolisse.

Bioderma Crealine H2O - I picked this up from the Guru Makeup Emporium stand and I've used it every day since. It is absolutely brilliant and so far it's the only thing I've found that completely removes Benefit They're Real! mascara.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre - I've been meaning to pick some of this up for ages but I couldn't find anywhere that stocked in so when I saw it on the Embryolisse stand I pounced! I've used it a few times since Friday and it's a beautiful moisturiser. 

Real Techniques Core Collection (contains - contour brush, angled foundation brush, detailer brush, buffing brush) - apologies for the dirty buffing brush; I used it this morning and have used it since Friday and I really like it. I love how it creates a truly flawless base. I've yet to wash it so I don't know how it washes and I haven't used the other brushes yet so I can't comment on them either.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - I've yet to try this but it feels beautiful! The bristles are really dense and stable.

Illamasqua Kabuki - I've had my eye on this for so long yet even with my pro discount I've felt unable to justify the price so when I saw it was only £10 at IMATS I practically sprinted to the till!

Eve Pearl Black Eyelash Adhesive - I'm yet to try this but I've wanted a black eyelash glue for a while and as this was £4, I couldn't resist.

Makeup

NYX Lip Liners (L-toR; top to bottom) - Fuschia, Pale Pink, Plush Red, Rose.

Lovely lip liners and beautifully pigmented, I wore Plush Red on Friday night along with another product I bought at IMATS at it lasted all night despite drinking/eating. 

NYX Jumbo Pencil - Milk

NYX - Condealer in a Jar (Green)

NYX - Glitter in Disco Ball

NYX - Salon Formula Nail Polish in 215 Multi Glitter

OCC Lip Tar (L-to-R) - Pagent, Harlot, Memento.

These little beauties pack a serious punch, they're super pigmented and you only need the tiniest amount of product. I wore Harlot out on Friday night over the NYX pencil and it did not budge. Amaze!

Did you attend IMATS this year? What did you think/buy?

Vicky xoxo

Haul: Illamasqua Theatre Of The Nameless

As I mentioned previously, I went to Illamasqua on Friday; I only went in there for a lip gloss but it didn't take long for the Theatre of the Nameless display to catch my eye and, with the excuse of 'buying for my kit' I picked up the following:

Powder Blushes (l-t-r): Ambition (<3); Morale.

RRP: £16.50 each

Both are absolutely stunning and whilst Morale looks the scarier of the two, it applies as a beautiful rose pink with a shimmer finish and is truly stunning. Ambition is a neutral shade with a shimmer finish and is currently my favourite of the two, I've been looking for a product just like this for so long and as always, Illamasqua have produced one that has exceeded all expectations. I have a feeling they'll end up in my makeup bag rather than my kit!! 

Top: Morale; Bottom: Ambition (apologies for poor swatching, I can't get the hang of it!)

Pure Pigment in Beguile.

RRP: £15.50

I adore the Illamasqua Pure Pigments and when the MUA pointed this shimmery little beauty out to me I instantly snapped it up. It's a beautiful light shimmer that you simply have to play with -- use it to highlight, mix it with other products, wear it on it's own, turn it into an eye-liner with Illamasqua Sealing Gel; the uses are endless and the effects beautiful.

Masquara in Raven.

RRP: £15.00

The main rival to 'Ambition' as my favourite new product. Potentially the best mascara I have ever used. Illamasqua claim this little beauty will:

                   lengethen, define and dramatise to extremes...

A bold claim that is made by many but fulfilled by few however the Masquara certainly ticks every box. 

Masquara takes longer to dry than other mascaras which the MUA helpfully informed me was to prevent clumping. The 'wetter' formula also enables you to layer the mascara without ending up with sticky spider lashes. 

The brush is big but not too big (Collection 2000 Big Fake Lash I'm looking at you) and you're able to get into the inner corner of the eye and the thickness of the brush certainly helps to build volume.

Obviously, with my own Masquara I'll be using the brush provided however, with the Masquara in my kit, I will of course be using dispoable mascara wands which, if the product and application are good should make no difference but I'll keep you posted on that one...

There are more than a few other things in the collection that havve caught my eye and that I will no doubt go back to purchase.

What do you think of the Theatre of the Nameless collection; have you tried it? I'd be interested to know your thoughts if you have.

Have a lovely week.

Vicky xoxo

Review: Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

"The ultimate 'skin realism' foundation...." 

Shade: SB 02

Applied with: MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush

Price: £25 for 30ml (1 Fl Oz)

For the past year my foundation of choice has been NARS Sheer Glow. I have indulged in brief flirtations with Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation, MUFE HD foundation and Illamasqua Cream Foundation; though I liked all three, none of them were able to usurp Sheer Glow as my absolute Holy Grail foundation though all three have subsequently found their way into my kit. 

After hearing numerous good reviews and words like "revolutionary" being bandied about, I headed off to Beak St. with exceptionally high hopes. Before I arrived I had already matched myself to shade SB 02 - which, excluding pure white, is the palest shade with a pink undertone, and upon arrival the MUA also matched me to this shade. There is a wide range of shades, all of which are helpfully numbered and separated into pink, yellow, pink/yellow and neutral undertones eliminating any confusion.

 L-to-R: NARS Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc; Illamasqua Skin Base in SB 02.

The foundation blends easily into the skin (a result of the 'water in silicone' formula), creating a flawless base. I tend to apply mine with a MAC 187 Duo Fibre brush though I also like the finish with the Crown Flat Bronzing brush, and buff the product into the skin. This enables me to control the level of coverage which I like to be sheer to medium in places. 

 Enough Skin Base Foundation to create full coverage on the back of my hand, ready for application.

The formulation of the foundation is creamy and a little goes a very long way. Although the foundation can look a little thick initially, it is lightweight on the skin and does not go on heavily. The foundation has a tendency to feel slightly tacky after application however a dusting of powder soon eliminates this problem, as does leaving the foundation to warm into the skin if you wish to forgo powder.

Despite Illamasqua claiming the foundation is suitable for all skin types, it certainly does not sit well with dry skin. My forehead was a little dry due to the fact it had caught the sun and the foundation only highlighted this. As a result of this, I now apply the foundation straight over my moisturiser and thankfully, it has not highlighted any dry patches since.

 Squeezy hard plastic bottle and pointed nozzle ensure you only use as much product as you need.

The lack of SPF ensures that Skin Base photographs beautifully under flash and is undetectable under a HD camera, which is music to my makeup artist ears and having to use an individual SPF under my foundation really doesn't put me out or add any time to my makeup routine.

After using this foundation every day for two weeks, here are my positives and negatives:

Positives

• Wide range of shades which are simply named
• Weightless feel on the skin
• Good coverage: buildable medium to full but can be sheered out.
• Easy to blend
• No SPF making it undetectable with flash and HD cameras.

Negatives

• Not great for dry skin
• More stubborn blemishes still require concealer

As you can see, for me the positives certainly outweigh the negatives and whilst this product will definitely be making its way into my kit due to the wide range of shades, the flawless finish it offers and the way it photographs, I will also be keeping it in my makeup bag.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Vicky xoxo